THE first woman to captain a frontline Royal Navy warship has lost her command after allegations that she had an affair with a fellow officer on board.

Commander Sarah West described her appointment to captain as her greatest achievement [PA]

Commander Sarah West, 42, will remain in the Navy but be re-appointed to another role.

She took charge of the Type 23 frigate HMS Portland in May 2012.

Cdr West left her vessel last month when claims emerged that she had a relationship with Lieutenant Commander Richard Gray, 35, Portland’s operations officer in charge of weapons and defence systems.

Lt Cdr Gray was newly-wed, having married his wife Melissa, 33, in December 2013.

The Royal Navy conducted an inquiry into whether Cdr West breached the Armed Forces’ code of social conduct, which governs personal relationships within the military.

But yesterday a spokesman gave no details of the inquiry or its outcome.

He added: “This is an internal matter between the individual and her senior officers and we will not give further details of the removal.

“Commander West will continue to serve in the Royal Navy and she will be reappointed to a post where her skills and experience can be used to best effect.”

Portland’s second-in-command has now taken over the running of the ship.

There are drawbacks though. Years at sea probably explains why I’m single. But every person in the military makes sacrifices

Commander Sarah West

The Royal Navy would not comment on whether Lt Cdr Gray is still serving or has also been removed from his post.

Cdr West, who was born and raised in Lincolnshire, studied maths at Hertfordshire university before joining Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, Devon, in September 1995.

She was married to former Royal Navy pilot Andrew Whitlum but they separated in 2006 and she now describes herself as single.

Her appointment to command HMS Portland was described by her as the greatest achievement of her career.

In an interview earlier this year, however, she spoke of the difficulty in maintaining relationships with those left at home during long periods at sea.

She said: “I’m really proud to be the first woman but I’m not re-inventing the wheel.

“Lots of women in the services have challenging roles. It’s just that I happen to be newsworthy at the moment.

“There are drawbacks though. Years at sea probably explains why I’m single. But every person in the military makes sacrifices.

“There are plenty of men and women on board missing their children growing up, which is why keeping the ship happy is such a big part of my job.”

Relationships between servicemen and women are allowed in the military provided they do not undermine “trust and cohesion” or damage “operational effectiveness”. Possible punishments for not meeting the high standards set out include a formal warning and reassignment, while a particularly serious breach could result in dismissal.

HMS Portland is nearing the end a seven-month deployment, in Europe, Africa, South and North America. The warship has undertaken maritime security operations including counter narcotics and anti-piracy patrols in the Atlantic and the Caribbean. Portland and her 185 crew are due to reach Plymouth within days.